Key holder



Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,431

A. F. DODSON KEY HOLDER Filed March 1. 1926 ruin-null i'i-llllm ww 661 QZZZZZZOJ w MM I Patented Feb. 7, 19 28. i

UNITED STA TES PATENT orrlca ALCADA F. DODSON, OF-CHICAGO, ILL INOIS.

KEY HOLDER.

Application filed March-1, 1926. Serial No. 91,479.

mounted; which shall be neat in appear ance; by which the keys shall be entirely covered or protected when not in use; and from which any desired key can be readily projected from an end of/the holder.

My improved holder has the general appearance of a pocket knife, the keys being arranged in the holder in the places that blades occupy in a pocket knife. The parts of the holder are held together by means of 99 peculiar screws, the holder being originally assembled with washers or filler pieces in place of the keys, which washers are removed when the keys are mounted in the holder.

The handle ends of ordinary fiat keys are wider than the lock 0 erating parts and I permit these wider en s to project from the holder or convenience in rotating the keys on thei mounting, when it is desired to project the keys for use. I

Many other features of importance will be manifest fromthe following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which: f f 1 Fig. 1, is a plan view of my improved keyholder as it appears when in closed condition; Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section on the linc-2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; r

Fig. .4, is a fragmentary, enlarged, sectional view; ;on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and Fig;v 5,"is' a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. j M improved key-holder consists of two rigi parallel side'plates 1, 1 made of sheet vmetal. These plates are preferably somewhat wider at their middle portions 2 than at their ends 3 and have the general shape of the side plates of a pocket knife. These plates are held together by screws 4 passing through perforations at the end portions 3 of the plates. Preferably there is also a middle similar plate 5 dividing the space between the side plates into two-compartments. Outside the side plates are cover pieces 6, preferably of sheet celluloid, and between the celluloid sheets and the side plates there may be pieces 7 of sheet material adapted to carry suitable ornamenta- -t1on or other desired design, such as advertisements, for exposure through the cellu loid cover sheets.

The screws or bolts 4 each comprise two parts 8 and 9. Each part has a head 10 with a transverse slot 11 slightly'wider than is usual in such screws, so that it can be operated by inserting the edges of a dime to he used as a screw driver. The part 9 of the bolt 4 has a threaded stem 12 fitting within an internally. threaded, inwardly projecting'tubular shank 13 on the part 8. The

tubular part extends nearly to the head of H the part 9 and forms a bearing upon which the keys are mounted. The holder is long enough in length to enclose two keys in thesame compartment, one on each of the screws 4. The operating'ends 15 of the keys overlap, as best shown in Fig. 3, and one can be swung out to one side and the other the other side. The screws 4 are-adapted to be ti ghteued sufficiently to produce just enough friction on the thicker handle portions 16 of the keys so that they will be retained in any position to which they are swung. As such keys are usually made the handle por which]: make use in securing the keys in the holder. When the holder is first made it is set up with washers or fillers 18 on the screws and of substantially the same thickness as the keys to be later inserted. When a key is to be inserted one" of the screws 4 is removed and one of the fillers 18 taken out and the key substituted. Then the screw .4 is reinserted and screwed together enough to bind the key with sufficient friction to properly hold it. As the key handles may vary as to thickness it is undesirable to have the screws made with tight binding shoulders which would prevent their' inadvertent or accidental unscrewing. To effect this function of preventing the screws unscrewing in swinging 'tions are provided with openings 17 ofthe keys out and in, I provide each screw head 8 with a ratchet-like tooth 19 on its undersurface adapted to be forced into the celluloid covers 6 on the holder. This tooth 19 is substantially radial of the screw head and is produced by forcing the rim of the head down, as shown at 20, Fig. 5. lhe

tooth 19 is formed to provide a slightly inclined surface 21 presented in the forward direction as the parts of the screw are rotated to tighten the screw in place and a greater inclination on its rear surface 22. lhe screw can be readily tightened, the teeth 19 easily sliding along and depressing the celluloid sheet, but a reverse rotation of the screw parts is resisted by the surface 22 of the teeth in the manner of a ratchet tooth.

1 When it is necessary to remove one of the screws to change keys the teeth 19 can be forced backward through the celluloid, though it takes so much force to do this that the screws will not loosen by swinging the keys out and in. Usually the handle ends 16 of the keys of this kind are wide enough to project beyond the narrow ends 3 of the holder and-the keys can be readily rotated to move them out and in by pressure on the projecting parts of the key handles.

The ornamentation sheets 7 upon which advertisements can be placed makes the de vice an excellent advertising novelty, particularly for automobiles, as the device can be left hanging on the key after use and no rattling sound will result.

As many modifications of my invention will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art. I do not limit or confine my invention to the specific details of construction herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. The combination of the key-holder and keys secured therein, the holder comprising a series of similarly shaped plates, fasteners passing through the plates adjacent to the was er ends thereof, the fasteners being removable to permit their insertion through the plates and through the handles of keys, the end portions of the plates being of less width than the width of the handles of the inserted keys, whereby the handles of the keys project beyond the edges of the plates for convenience in rotating the keys on the fasteners to cause the keys to project from the holder for use.

2. The combination of a key-holder and keys secured therein, the holder comprising a plurality of flat plates between which the keys are adapted to be housed, removable fasteners at the ends of the plates and passing through the handles of the keys, the plates oval shape and narrower at their ends than the handles of the inserted keys to cause the key handles to project from the holder for convenience in rotating the keys upon the fasteners to cause them to project from the holder for use.

3. The combination of a fiat casin having separated walls between which fiat toys are adapted to be housed, fasteners passing through the end portions of the walls, keys hetween'said walls, and said fasteners projected through the handles thereof, the end portions of the walls being narrower than the width of the handles of the contained keys to cause the handles of the keys to project to facilitate the rotation of the keys upon the fasteners in arranging the keys for use and the middle portions of said walls being wider than their end portions for properly housing the keys.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this th day of February, 1926. ALCADA F. DODSON. 

